Why Nine Came Back For Rose
by cheri1
Summary: What really happened after he left her at the end of Rose. FINISHED.


A/N: So knowing what we know now, Nine coming back for Rose makes more sense…

The Ninth Doctor sighed as he walked towards his console. He really hated to let Rose go. He liked the girl. She had a lot of spirit and bravery for someone her age and she did save his life. But no, the stupid ape chose her wimpy boyfriend over travels through time and space. Just like an ape, he could take her to any point in time and space she wanted and she wanted to stay and hoover her boyfriend to death on the lounge sofa.

So be it. He would find others he could show the universe to. He started up the TARDIS, intending to leave her and her wimpy boyfriend and oversexed mother far behind. He stood by the console, trying to calm down and move on. But it still floored him that she would choose Mickey the Idiot over him. He shook his head. Maybe if he got a pint and relaxed a bit in a pub somewhere, he could get back into the right frame of mind. He wasn't sure where to go so he asked his TARDIS to find a nice location for him before he turned, walked to his jump seat and sat down. The TARDIS, who knew more than the Doctor did about his personal timeline, knew just the place to take him to. So she turned in the vortex and headed into London's future…

XXXXXXXXXXXX

London in the thirty third century was very futuristic. Many of the brick and stone buildings had been replaced by ecologically friendly glass buildings that gathered up the sunlight in the glass panels and used it to power the structure. There were still some structures from the twenty first century that still remained but after a couple of wars and attacks from outer space along with a massive earthquake in the year 2245, most of the old buildings were now a distant memory. The only building still standing from the olden days was The Shard. The Doctor figured it was because the glass structure fit in with the other glass structures around it. However, it had long been surpassed as the tallest building as new and better building techniques and materials came along. The pub was also futuristic with gleaming steel sides and large plate glass windows but to the Doctor's surprise, the interior was designed to look like a Victorian pub. Nine was jolted by this incongruity for a moment before heading further inside. He looked at the staff. None of them were dressed like Victorians. The fashion of the day was shiny silver bodysuits with matching knee high boots and this is what the staff was wearing while they circulated among the patrons, delivering food and spirits. Nine shook his head at the sight of the futuristic staff and sat down at a circular wooden table near the door. For a few minutes, he sat there people watching.

"You look blue, love."

The Doctor turned his head when a young woman came up to his table. She was wearing the bodysuit and had her long brown hair tied back in a bun as she stood there waiting to take his order.

"Pint of bitter, please," the Doctor said, ignoring his comment.

The woman was holding a small black table and she entered the order on a keypad under the monitor.

"Anything to eat?" she asked him.

The Doctor shook his head, wanting the woman to go away so he could think in peace. But to his annoyance, the woman stood there.

"Yes?" he said.

"I said you look blue," the woman repeated.

"Yeah, what of it?" the Doctor snapped at her.

"I just hate seeing a handsome man look so sad," the woman said with an innocent shrug. "I work here but I also consider it my job to keep the patrons cheerful."

"Get a lot of happy alcoholics in here, do you?" the Doctor said sarcastically.

"I try to make them smile. Then perhaps they'll look forward to life and stop being alcoholics," the woman said with a shrug.

"That's very nice of you," the Doctor said, losing his sarcastic tone.

"Thanks. So…be back with your pint then?"

The Doctor nodded and the woman walked away. He sighed and went back to people watching, lost in his thoughts until the thunk of the pint glass on the table brought him out of his reverie. He looked at the woman who was smiling warmly at him.

"One pint, love," she said.

"Thanks," the Doctor said.

He sighed when the woman stood there.

"Look, I appreciate the gesture but I don't need cheering up at the moment," he said, trying to be polite as possible.

"Look, I know I'm being a pest but I had to see a handsome man with a frown on his face. So what's the matter? Woman problems?"

The Doctor considered telling her to piss off but something about her made him hold his tongue. He nodded.

"Yeah, you could say that," he said, picking up his pint glass.

"Girlfriend?"

"No."

He frowned when the woman pulled up the chair beside him and sat down.

"Shouldn't you be working?" he said.

"On my break. I'm Clara by the way," she said, holding out her hand to him.

The Doctor smiled at that.

"The Doctor," he said, shaking it.

"Ooo, handsome and a doctor, perhaps I could replace this woman of yours?" Clara teased him.

The Doctor chuckled at that.

"She wasn't a girlfriend, just someone I met who helped me out," he said, staring at the pint glass.

"That's nice of her to do that. So what happened?"

The Doctor hesitated a moment before speaking.

"I travel," he said, looking at Clara. "I asked her to travel with me and she refused because her clingy, soppy git of a boyfriend whined and cried and begged her to stay."

"So you have feelings for this woman?"

"No! I mean…she's a nice girl and all…"

"So, why be jealous of her and her boyfriend then?"

"I'm not jealous," the Doctor said, a bit too defensively.

"You just want her to travel with you and leave the boyfriend behind," Clara said.

"I…"

The Doctor trailed off, realizing this conversation was getting a bit too awkward for his liking.

"Do you want her to come with you?" Clara said.

The Doctor thought that over before finally nodding.

"Go and get her then," Clara said.

"She doesn't want to come," the Doctor said bitterly as he stared at the bitter in his glass.

"Sure about that? I mean, maybe you were a big old sourpuss and you scared her to death."

The Doctor snapped his head up and looked at Clara. He saw the grin on her face and chuckled.

"Sorry about being a bit harsh before," he said to her as he looked back at his pint glass.

"No worries. So…if you like this woman and want her to come with you, why not go back and ask her. Maybe she needs a bit more convincing from you?"

"What if she says no again?" the Doctor challenged good naturedly.

Clara shrugged.

"Then leave her with the clingy, soppy git of a boyfried and go about your merry way," she said. "But you know what? I have a feeling she'll say yes the second time around."

"Oh? And how do you know that?"

"Woman's intuition," Clara said, tapping the side of her head. "Go on, handsome guy, go and get her."

The Doctor stared at her for a moment before her finally grinned.

"Now see, I put a smile on that handsome face of yours," Clara said.

"You earned your paycheck, that's for sure," the Doctor said.

"Thanks. Well, break's over with, gotta get back to the grind. You take care of yourself, cutie."

"And you," the Doctor said warmly.

Clara winked at him, patted the back of his hand and left the table. The Doctor watched her walk away for a moment before he chuckled and finished drinking his bitter.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose turned with Mickey and was about to leave when she suddenly heard the TARDIS's grinding noise behind her. She turned with Mickey and her heart leapt when she saw the TARDIS materialize. A moment later, the door opened and the Doctor stuck his head out the door.

"Did I mention that it also travels in time?"

THE END.


End file.
